When I got back to the old villa, a strange chill crept over me. The place was just as I remembered—same familiar faces, except now there were two new ones: Tessa and Acee.
As soon as we walked in, Acee’s tiny legs carried him straight toward Gerard. He ran into his arms, and Gerard lifted him up with an affectionate smile.
“Gerard, Vikki, welcome back,” Mom greeted. “Today’s a great day—Tessa’s back, too! If someone here could finally give us a child, we’d really have double the joy.”
She meant to nag me again, her words full of dissatisfaction.
Tessa curved her lips into a smug smile. “Mom, don’t be mad. Acee, call her Grandma. Mom, just treat him like your real grandson.”
‘If only she knew he actually is her real grandson,’ I thought bitterly. ‘Would she still be this calm and kind?’
After dinner, the same old routine began again—pressuring me to have a baby.
“Vikki, you’re not getting any younger,” Mom said pointedly. “You’ve tried all sorts of remedies. Maybe it’s time for another hospital checkup.”
Before I could reply, Acee suddenly threw a tantrum when he heard that.
“No! No! I don’t want my daddy to have another baby!”
He burst into tears, clutching Gerard’s pant leg with all his might.
Everyone present had different reactions—some were watching the drama, some were angry.
“Sweetie,” Tessa bent down, wiping the tears off Acee’s face, “he’s not your daddy, remember?”
But Acee only cried harder. “No! You’re lying! He is my daddy! You even have his picture in your wallet!”
Dad’s face turned thunderous. His glare fixed on Tessa and the boy, the air thick with humiliation.
“Vikki,” he said sharply, “tell me this isn’t my son’s child.”
Gerard tugged at my sleeve under the table, his gaze threatening.
“Dad, Mom, this boy isn’t Gerard’s. He’s always with me. How could he have time for someone else?” I lied.
Mom’s eyes welled up with relief. She had always liked Tessa.
But Dad’s cold voice was unyielding. “The Blandings won’t be made a laughingstock. Get her out of this country. She’s never to return.”
Before anyone could react, the ashtray on the table flew through the air and struck Gerard’s shoulder with a heavy thud. He grunted, clearly in pain, but tried to hold it in.
“Gerard!” Tessa shouted, rushing to his side, completely forgetting about her son. “Are you okay?”
Her gentle hands came to rest on his shoulder, her voice soft and tender.
I stared at the scene in front of me, then suddenly stood up. “You know what? You’re the ones who look like a real family. I’ll leave you to it.”
I grabbed my bag and stormed toward the door.
“Gerard! What are you doing just standing there? Go after your wife! Now!” Dad urged, frustrated with his son.
But Gerard didn’t even move. His tone was cold and detached.
“She’s got that temper because you’ve spoiled her. Let her cool off. Who’s she taking her attitude out on every day?”
I walked out of my in-laws’ villa, got into the car I’d booked ahead of time, and told the driver to head straight for a private studio.
It was a place that specialized in creating hyper-realistic human replicas—so lifelike, they could easily be mistaken for the real thing.
“Ma’am, your data’s been collected,” the technician said. “Your order will be ready in seven days.”
I handed over the deposit without hesitation. Seven days from now, I’d be long gone.
Later, sitting leisurely in a café, I called my lawyer. “Attorney, how’s the information I asked you to gather?”
“Everything’s been collected according to your instructions,” he replied. “But we discovered something else—your mother’s caught up in a massive debt issue.”
“That’s impossible,” I muttered in disbelief. “She quit gambling years ago.”
“Well, it seems your husband encouraged her to start again. She now owes fifty million,” he explained.
What a husband! How could he do something so despicable?!
In my rage, I frantically dialed Gerard’s number. He was not picking up the phone until, after a few more rings, the call finally connected.
“Gerard!” I yelled over the speaker. “Are you out of your mind? My mom fought so hard to quit gambling, and you pushed her back into it? Don’t you really have any conscience?!”
